Vehicle occupant safety barrier



United States Patent l 3,545,789

[72] Inventor Phillip GI'lhl 1,091,058 4/1924 Nisbet 296/85 282 c fl -1Pittsburgh 2,475,588 7/ 1949 Bierman 244/122 Pennsylvania 152162,833,554 5/1958 Ricordi 2130/1150 [21] Appl. No. 709,999 2,977,1353/1961 Graham. 280/150 [22] Filed Mlrch'i,l 968 3,095,170 6/1963 Harb297/390 Continuation-impart 01' Sen Flo-54 ,83 3,129,017 4/1964 Graham.280/ l 50 M y Pale!!! 3,392,989, 3,262,716 7/1966 Graham 280/ 150 whichis a continuation-in-part of Ser- No- 3,392,989 7/1968 Graham.....280/150 462,993, June 10,1965, Patent N0. 3,393,010 7/1968 Steinberg297/390 3,262,716, which is a continuation- 3,425,71 l 2/1969 Rapier280/150 in-part ofsel'. No. 355,568, March 30, 1964, FOREIGN PATENTSabandoned, which is a division of Ser. No. l 52 3 15 I I H 955 Sweden280,150 97,658, March 22 1961, Patent No. 1 074,992 2,1960 G 3 129 017which is a continuation-in- 280,150 1,148,893 3/1963 Germany 280/150part of Ser. No. 662,700, May 31, 1957, patent 2,977,135 PrimaryExaminer-Kenneth l-l. Betts patented 8 1970 Attorney-William .l. Ruano[54] VEHICLE OCCUPANT SAFETY BARRIER 47 Cum, 27 Drawing Fi8s ABSTRACT:Thls Invention perta ns to a cushioning barrier that has shieldingmounted closely m front of an operator or a [52] 2780/1503 passenger ofan automobile or the like, to furnish a high 296/: 297/384; 297/216 1degree of cushioning to the occupant when momentum forces [51] n 21/00him against the barrier during an accident. The barrier inofse'l'cheludes head and chest shields that can be folded and be moved 296/56214/122; 297/384 216 laterally and downwardly to inconspicuous positionsagainst a door, so they cannot obscure or obstruct the occupant while[56]- Rdennm Cited they are retracted. The head and chest shields can betriggered UNITED STATES PATENTS to quickly move them into protectivepositions in front of the 3 3/ 1 17 n g -fl' 296/35 occupant when adangerous highway condition develops.

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PHILLIP GRAHAM i /fw g/r RNEY VEHICLE OCCUPANT SAFETY BARRIER Thisinvention is a continuation-in-part of my copending Pat. applicationSer. No. 549,835, filed May 13, 1966 entitled Vehicle Occupant SafetyBarrier, now Pat. No. 3,392,989.

. Applicant also claims-rights to earlier filing date to common subjectmatter that is described in the present application, which was alsodescribedin' his Pat. applications: Ser. No. 462,993, filed June 10,1965, entitled Vehicle Occupant Safety Barrier, now Pat-No. 3,262,716;Ser. No. 355,568, which has been abandoned-filed Mar. 30, 1964, entitledVehicle Occupant Safety Barrier; Ser. No. 97,658, filed Mar. 22, 1961,now Pat. No. 3,129,017, entitled Vehicle Occupant Safety Barrier; Ser.No. 662,770, filed May 31, 1957, entitled Vehicle Occupant SafetyBarrier, now Pat. No. 2,977,135. The copending Pat. application Ser. No.549,835 is a continuation-in-part of Pat. application Ser. No. 462,993Pat. application Ser. No. 462,993, is a continuation-in-part of Pat.application Ser. No. a 355,568, Pat. application Ser. No. 355,568 is adivision ofPat. application Ser. No. 97,658 and Pat. application Ser.No. 97,658 is a continuation-in-part of Pat. application Ser. No.662,770. The present application also describes improvements over thesafety barriers of my US. Pat. No. 2,827,305.

This invention relates to a vehicle occupant safety barrier that ismounted in a vehicle and has yieldable shielding mounted closely infront of a seat for an occupant to protect the occupant during a rapiddeceleration, especially that caused by a collision. More particularly,it relates to a cushioning barrier that may be positioned in anautomobile in front of an operator or a passenger, to furnish a highdegree of cushioning to the occupant when momentum forces him againstit. Shielding of the barrier may be positioned between an operator and asteering wheel or the like to maintain protection for the operator whileallowing him freedom of movement in operating the vehicle, includingoperating the vehicle throughout an accident period when the vehicleremains controllable. The barrier includes upper shielding that can bekept in a low retracted inconspicuous position, so it cannot obscure orobstruct the occupant while it is retracted. The upper shielding can bequickly moved into a protective position in front of an occupant duringa collision threat.

' The shielding confines the occupant to prevent momentum frompropelling him against rigid portions of the vehicle and the like. Thebarrier provides shielding that has large cushioning surfaces to whichthe occupant's body bears during a collision. The large bearing areasallow a low bearing pressure to safely transmit the occupants momentumforce into the shielding, the shielding, yielding to an extent as theforce is absorbed. There are means to prevent objectionable reboundingof the shielding against the occupant. The shielding may have means tocause the momentum of an operator's body to be harnessed to the barrierto form a battering ram. The battering ram means can bend a steeringwheel to lengthen a decelera tion path thereby allowing the operator tobe decelerated slower and thus safer by reducing the intensity of thebearing pressure of his body against the barrier.

The barrier of the present invention has improvements over the barriershown in my copending Pat. application Ser. No. 549,835 and in my olderpatents. The present application describesimprovements that includeretraction of the upper shielding laterally and downwardly to the extentthat it assumes a position that is below the window portions of anautomobile or the like, and the retracted position is far enough awayfrom an occupant it is protecting,'so the upper shielding does notobscure or obstruct the portions'of the occupants body that are abovethe hips. The retracted upper shielding is compactly folded so that itfits into a small space and it is largely hidden or inconspicuous toviewers of the occupant it protects. The present barrier has morecomplex supporting means than the barrier means described in my earlierpatent applications, but it does not have certain objectionablecharacteristics of the older barrier means, including: obscuringportions of the occupants torso or head when the shielding is retracted;obstructing the line of sight to the instrument panel when the shieldingis retracted; minor obstructions to free arm movement of anoperator-occupant, and/or having characteristics that would tend to trapan occupant when the barrier is highly deformed during an accident. Thepresent barrier means would not bind the upper portions of the occupantsarms and shoulders, as would the fabric barrier described in mycopending Pat. application Ser. No. 549,835. The present barrierincludes slidable seat means that can be superimposed over aconventional seat. I

Another improvement includes means to trip a control to cause the uppershielding to automatically unfold and move upwardly and laterally into aprotective position confronting the head and chest of the operatorwithout obstructing the operator's freedom to manipulate the vehicleduring and after these positioning movements.

Although the vehicle barrier is shown as being incorporated into anautomobile, it may be incorporated into other vehicles. 7

An object of my invention is to provide a retractable shieldlike,cushionable vehicle occupant safety barrier that is mounted in avehicle, with means to cause the shielding to be positioned closely infront of an occupant to protect the occupant during a very rapiddeceleration caused by a collision- -shielding that protects the upperportion of the occupants body, being retractable laterally anddownwardly when an accident is not imminent, so as not to obscure orobstruct the occupant and so as to hide or make the shieldinginconspicuous.

Another object of my invention is to provide a barrier having cushioningshielding that is compactly folded so that it does not obscure orobstruct the upper portion of the occupant when the shielding is in aretracted position, upper portions of the shielding being mounted on avehicle door so the upper shielding swings outwardly with the door whenthe door is opened, thereby providing unobstructed access space to andfrom the occupants seat, including space to allow the occupant to escapefrom the vehicle after a collision.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a retractablecushioning vehicle occupant safety barrier that is positioned in frontof and interconnected with a slidable portion of a seat of a vehicle,the barrier having shielding that can be folded and beretractedlaterally and downwardly so that it does not obscure orobstruct the upper portion of the occupant.

A still further object is to provide a cushionable vehicle occupantsafety barrier that hasretractable shielding positioned in front of, andinterconnected with, a slidable portion of a seat of a vehicle, theshielding confronting the operator to harness the operators momentumduring a collision, to cause the barrier to act as a battering ram tobend the steering wheel to lengthen a deceleration path to obtain alonger period in which to decelerate the o'perators body during acollision,

. supports for shielding being positioned so as to allow unobstructedspace for access to and from the seat. The shielding has retractingmeans that folds the shielding and moves it laterally and downwardly sothat it does not obscure or obstruct the upper portion of the operator'sbody when the shielding is in a retracted position, and the shieldinghas support means that allows the operator unobstructed space in whichto make movements to control the vehicle when the shielding is in aprotective position.

Otherobjects and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent from a study of the following description taken with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing barrier shield meanspositioned in front of the operator of an automobile;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;I

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGS. 1and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 44 FIG. 6 is anenlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIGS. 1and3 before upper shielding is moved into protective positioning;

-FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG.- 6, except that it shows shieldsupporting means in a fully retracted position;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary; sectional view taken along line 8-8of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary view taken along line 10-10 ofFlG.2;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIG.6;

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing upper shieldingretracted below a window sill;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the head shield in aretracted position;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the face shieldretracted upwardly;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along line17-17 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along line18-18 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along line19-19 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged, sectional view similar to FIG. 4, showingdetails of upper shielding;

FIG. 21 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 10 but showing amodification including a slidable head shield;

FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIG. 21 but showing the head shield and apair of shoulder shields in retracted position;

FIG. 23 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 23-23 of FIG.21;

FIG. 24 is an elevational view taken along line 24-24 of FIG. 21; 7

FIG. 25 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 24, but showing a headshield that is partially unfolded;

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary, plan view showing a yieldable splice forstiffening wires;

FIG. 27 is a fragmentary, elevational view showing a groove and pocketfor a control cable.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 20 inclusiveshow a cushionable safety barrier means B that is mounted in a vehiclebody 1 which may be an automobile body. The barrier B includes pivotal,retractable main shielding. The barrier B has a torso or chest shield Sthat is cantilevered out from a telescoping cushioning thrust arm orcylinder D. The cylinder D is mounted on the interior of. a door 2. Theshielding of the barrier B confronts an occupant 3. The occupant ispositioned in the seat J. A head shield H is pivotally mounted on theshield S. The head shield H can be retracted downwardly so it overlaysthe front of the shield S. A transparent visor or face shield F ispivotally mounted on the shield H. The shield S is pivotally mounted soas to allow it to be. retracted laterally and downwardly. FIGS. 1 to 5show the shields S and H in protective positions in front of theoccupant 3. FIG. 14 shows the shields S and H in fully retractedpositions. FIG. 15 shows the head shield H in a retracted position,while the torso shield S remains in a protective position. FIG. 16 showsshields S and Ilv in protective positions, but with the face shield F inan overhead retracted position.

The seat J has a slidable portion JP. The slidable seat portion JP isshowninterconnected with the cylinder D and the shielding of the barrierB. A bearing surface means such as the seat belt W is engaged to theslidable seat portion JP.'Shoulder shields ER and EL are pivotallymounted on theshield S.

Shields ER and EL are retractable to allow an occupant 3,

who is the operator, to keep his arms extended while steering and to.allow the shielding to be more compact when it is retracted. When theshoulder shields are in their protective positions, they restrain andthus protect the occupant's shoul- I ders and the upper portions of hisarms. The occupant would lower his arms to allow the shields ER and ELto spring into protective positions. The occupant may protect the lowerportions of his arms by sliding them into a mufflike portion M of theshield S. Foot' shields NR and NL are connected to the slidable seatportion JP..The shields NR and NL restrain and thus allow cushioning ofthe lower portions of the occupant's legs.- Knee shields, shown in my USPat. No. 3,392,989, may be fastened to the slidable seat portion JP, toprovide. bearing surface means confronting the knees. l

The shield S is shown positioned between a steering wheel 4 and theoccupant 3 who is an operator. The shield S may'also be mounted in frontof an occupant 3 who is a passengeL'The slidable seat portion JP slidesforwardly in unison with the shields of the barrierB when the occupant 3is propelled forwardly against the shields by his momentum, when thevehicle is decelerated quickly during a collision. A catch means Cprevents the thrust arm D and thus the shields from reboundingobjectionably after an occupants momentum has forced the shieldsforwardly. The shielding of a barrier B may also be positioned in frontof conventional vehicle seats or other types of seats (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 20, a gap may be maintained between theoccupant 3 and the shields S and H. except when the occupant prefers tobear against the shields when there is imminent danger of a collisionaccident. During a violent deceleration, such as that from a collision,the occupant 3 would be propelled forwardly from his position shown inFIG. 1 to a position against the shielding of the barrier B, as shown inFIG. 5. The momentum thrust of the occupant 3 against the shields S andH is transmitted into the cylinder D. The mo- .mentum thrust of thelower portion of the occupant's torso and legs against the safety beltW, and the foot shields NR and NL, is transmitted into the slidable seatportion JP, the seat yielding and transmitting the thrust into thecylinder D.

The shield S has a strong stiff panel 5 that can greatly resist forcesthat tend to deform it during a collision. The panel 5 is covered withcushioning padding 6 adjacent to the occupant. The padding may be spongerubber or the like, or it may be inflated rubber padding. Cushioningpadding 6 may in general be attached to hard surfaces of the barrier Badjacent to the occupant. Such padding 6 is shown, except where theshowing would cause vague delineation of mechanical parts that arebeyond the padding. The mufflike portion M of the shield 5 may be madeof strong sheeting 7, such as plastic or cloth. The sheeting 7 is loopedto form a mufflike shape. The sheeting 7 acts as a hinge where it isattached to the panel 5. The muff M may have a fastener 8 that isengageable with a hook 9 on the belt W. The engagement of the muffM tothe belt W prevents the occupants arms from pivoting forwardly when theyare confined in the muff, during a collision. When an occupant has hisarms in the muff M., he would tend to interlock his arms by clasping hishands to his elbows. When a muff M is to be positioned between anoperator and a steering wheel 4, the muff M may have a strong stiffcurved panel portion 10 adjacentto the steering wheel, with padding 6behind thestiff portion, so occupant's arms are shielded from thesteering .wheel 4. The strong stiffening 10 may have a hook 11 fastenedto it. The hook can engage the lower portion of the steering wheel 4,whereby momentum of the operator 3 against the shielding S and the beltW is harnessed to cause the wheel 4 tion path for the occupant.

The panel Sis shown sloping to a small degree to suitan occupant,particularly a woman whose back is resting against the sloping back ofthe seat J. A barrier B that is made for use with The head shield H hasa strong stiff U-shaped frame 12 that is pivotally mounted with hinges Konto the upper portion of the shield S. Each hinge K includes a coiledspring 13 which tends to cause the frame l2,'and thus the whole shieldH, to pivot upwardly from a retracted position shown in FIG. 15, to theprotective position shown in FIG. 2. Each hinge K has a hinge pin 14. Apair of spring latches 15 are fastened to the panel S. Each hinge pin 14has a square shoulder that engages a square hole in the frame 12.A'large round shoulder portion ofa pin 14, engages a hole in a hingeplate 16. Hinge plates 16 are welded to the panel 5. The ends of eachspring 13 engages a hole in a pin 14 and a hole ina hinge plate 16. Thebolts of the latches 15 engage teeth in the heads of the hinge pins 14,as shown in FIG. 19, to restrain the shield H from pivoting forwardlywhen the-head of the occupant 3 is forced against it by momentum duringa collision. The occupants head is restrained from whipping backexcessively by a headrest 17. The headrest 17 has a plug that fits intothe back of the seat J.

The shield H has spring steel wires 18 and 19 to form a frame thatconfronts a portion of the face of the occupant. The wires l8and 19 arepivotally mounted to pins 12a and 12b on the frame 12 as shown in FIG.20. The ends of the wires 18 and 19 have corrugations that are hookedinto the frame 12. The corrugations act as springs to force the wiresinto the positions shown in FIG. 20. Tough foldable sheeting 20 isattached to the wires 18 and 19, the frame 12 and the panel 5. Theedging ofthe sheeting 20 has a hem to confine and slidably engage thewires. The sheeting 20 may have padding 6 fastened to it. Thick paddingis shown as it would likely be preferred when there is sufficient spacebetween the door 2 and the steering wheel 4 to allow for thickly paddedbarriers.

When thick padding 6 would beobjectionable in thickening the head shieldor be objectionable in cost, the head shield H may be made without thethick padding, similar to the use of sheeting without padding as shownin FIG. 24, in which the occupants head bears directly against thesheeting during a collision. Such sheeting may be made of nylon so itcan yield to an extent to cushion the head. Padding may be used tocushion the occupants head against the wires 18 and 19, or the wires maybe yieldably spliced like the splice shown in FIG. 26, with a thinflexible tube 21 slidably engaging the end portion of the wires, so thewires can safely yield when the head bears against the sheeting 20 thatcovers the wire.

A tough outer foldable sheet 22 may be attached to the frame 12 and tothe face shield F, to prevent broken glass from passing through the gapbetween the shield F and the sheeting 20. Sheeting 20 and 22 shields theoccupants head from possible showers of fine glass particles that arecaused by the cracking of laminated safety glass. Sheeting 20 and 22would provide some protection from large fragments of windshield glass.Sheeting 20 and 22 may include flexible wire fabric or the like, toresist large fragments of glass.

The transparent face shield F is formed by stiff transparent plastic orthe like segments 23, 24 and 25. The segments are pivotally mounted.Segments 23, 24 and 25 have shapes that allow them to telescope or nestcompactly. Stepped offsets on frame 12 space the segments so theyoverlap to provide a shield against falling glass splinters. The gapsbetween the segments provide a ventilating means. Flanged means or thelike on the ends of the segments engage with each other and cause thesegments to coact when they are lowered and raised. Elastic-cloth tapesprings 26 may be attached to the sides of the frame 12 and to thesegment 23, to cause the segments to pivot into the retracted positionsshown in FIG. 16. The shield F would be retracted when the occupantprefers an unobstructed opening confronting his face, such as whenatmospheric conditions tend to cause fogging of the segments. A

cord 27 is attached to the segment 25. The cord 27 has a hook 27afastened to it. The hook 270 is hooked to an eyelet 28 on the shield S,to hold the segments in the protective positions. The hook 27a isdisengaged from the eyelet 28 to allow the segments 23, 24 and 25 topivot upwardly into retracted positions. The cord 27 may be elastic toallow it to shorten when it rises with the shield F, so it does notdangle in front of the occupants eyes. There is a large space betweenthe shield F and the occupants eyes so that spectacles worn by occupantwill not touch the shield F during a collision.

The head shield H is wider than the occupant's head, so the shield doesnot strike the head when the head is positioned slightly off to a sidefrom the center of the shield. The belt W tends to restrain the occupantfrom being nonaligned with the shield S. Furthermore, the uprightportion of the seat J may have a concave shape, like that of a bucketseat, to help keep the occupant aligned with the shields. The headrest17 is recessed to allow the occupant to momentarily tilt his head backinto the recess to center his head with the shield H to prevent theshield from striking his head as the shield moves into its protectiveposition.

The shield S is mounted so that it may be pivoted laterally away fromthe front of the occupant 3, so the shielding does not confront theoccupant when there is no immediate danger of a collision. The shield Smay be retracted by being pivoted laterally and downwardly so theshields S and H do not obscure or obstruct the occupant 3 to any extentwhen there is little danger of a collision. The retracted positions ofthe shieldsS and H are adjacent to the vdoor 2, as shown in FIG. 14. Thedoor 2 with the shields S and H retracted against it, may be readilyswung open andclosed without the shielding being a nuisance or ahindrance to the occupant. The shield S along with the shield H can betriggered to force them to move rapidly into the protective positionsfrom the fully retracted positions, when a hazardous condition develops.

The space between the shield S and the back of the seat J allows theoccupant 3 to move from behind the shield so he can pivot his torso andhead downwardly only to the seat J. when the vehicle rolls over duringan accident. In general, after a collision, the occupant can slidesideways past the shields S and H, thus he is not likely to be trappedby the shielding. The slidable seat portion JP yields by slidingforwardly without the remainder of the seat J moving forwardly. Thismeans allows the occupant to escape readily from behind the shields Sand H, after a collision, as the rigid rear portion of the seat J doesnot bear against him, thus tending not to trap him. The seat portion JPhas a pliable sheet 29, that overlays the fixed portion of the seat J.The sheet 29 may be made of nylon The slidable seat portion JP has astrong tubular seat base frame 30. The sheet 29 is attached to the frontand to the rear of the frame 30. Padding 6 is used to cover the frame 30adjacent the occupant.

If the catch C deforms during a collision and allows the rear portion ofthe cylinder D to be propelled backwardly by deformation of the portionof the vehicle 1 that confronts the.

cylinder D, the seat frame 30 would strike the fixed upright back of theseat J and thus force the seat J backwardly, thereby maintaining spacefor the occupant between the shield S and the back of the seat J, thuspreventing the occupant from being crushed. The seat J may be aconventional automobile seat, with the seat portion JP superimposed onit.

During a collision,-when the occupant's momentum is transmitted throughthe shielding into the cylinder D, the force is absorbed by compressingsprings that are confined in tubes of the cylinder D. The cylinder Dyields and telescopes when the springs yield. The catch means C preventsthe release of the force build built up in the cylinder D until it ismanually released after the occupant is clear of the path into which theshields rebound. The cylinder D and the catch C are like cushioningcylinder and catch that are described in my US. Pat. No 3,129,017. Thecatch C has a spring steel bar 31 that has rachet teeth. A pin 32 thatis fastened to a rear cylinder portion 33 of the cylinder D engages therachet teeth when the cylinder is compressed byThT: occupants momentum.The rachet teeth restrain the pin 32 and thus the shielding from movingbackwardly when the springs in the cylinder tends to rebound after theforward force has been spent.

A snubber (not shown), similar to a snubber described in my U.S. Pat.No. 2,827,305, may be used if preferred, rather than a catch means C.The cylinder D may have a piston and hydraulic fluid to createbleedingaction to cushion some of the momentum force. The hydraulicmeans to cushion may be in addition to the spring means. The means touse hydraulic bleeding action to cushion the momentum force is fullydescribed in my U.S. Pat. No. 2,977,135. U.S. Pat. No. 2,977,135 alsofully described hydraulic means that allows the use of hydraulic fluidand pump means to adjust the shields laterally toward towards the rearor the front.

The cylinder D may have an adjusting means (not shown) to adjust theforce absorbing spring or hydraulic bleeding means to suit the weight ofthe occupant. Such adjusting means are well known. They include anadjustable diaphragm opening to vary the hydraulic bleeding action andtakeup means to vary the spring means.

The front of the cylinder D bears against the corner post a or the like,so the forward end of the cylinder D is restrained from movingforwardly. A track 34 on the door 2 supports and positions the cylinderD. Two T-shaped connectors 35 have sliding and interlocking engagementwith the track 34. When the door 2 is opened to an extent, two pins 36which are attached to the cylinder portion 33 retract from spaced holesin the seat base 30. The door 2 has strong hinges and a strong latch(not shown). The door latching may be similar to safe latching shown inmy U.S. Pat. No 2,827,305.

The shielding of the barrier B is adjusted laterally to obtain aposition that allows the gap between the occupant 3 and the shields Sand H. Air can circulate through the gap to allow the occupant to keepcool during hot weather. The gap tends to prevent chafing and wrinklingof the occupants clothes. The pins 36 are selectively engaged to thespaced holes in the seat base 30, to adjust the seat longitudinally.

The seat base frame 30 has two front legs 30b and one rear leg 306.These legs are interlocked with and slidably engage rails 37. The rails37 are fastened to the floor 1b. The floor 1b may be reinforced withbeams 38. The nonslidable portion of the seat J may be mounted on asupport 41 and the like. A seat latch 42 may be used to latch thenonslidable portion of the seat to the floor lb.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shield S is mounted on support meanswhich includes a tubular post 43. The post 43 is fastened to the top ofthe cylinder portion 33. A tube 44 braces the post 43. A pivotal arm Gis mounted on the post 43. The arm G has a lower arm portion 45 that inis pin-connected to the post 43. The arm G includes a hinge P. An upperarm portion 46 is attached to the hinge P. The hinge P has a tube 49that is rigidly attached to the lower arm 45. The upper arm 46 isrigidly attached to the panel of the shield S. A spring 47 forces thearm G to pivot upwardly in response to tripping of a spring actuatedmain latch 48. The latch 48 engages the upper notch in a plate 53 tohold the shield S in the low retracted position. The plate 53 is weldedto the lower arm 45. When the shield S is in a fully retracted position,and the occupant foresees that a collision is imminent, he can pull amain control cable 54 or pull the handle of the latch 48 to retract thebolt of the latch 48, to allow the spring 47 to quickly force the shieldS and H to move upwardly to the position S1 that is shown in FIG. 6, andis indicated by the phantom outline in H0. 2. After the latch 48 ispulled, a train of latches are automatically tripped to allow theshields S and H to move farther. The latch 48 engages a lower notch inthe plate 53 to lock the arm G in the raised position shown in FlGS. 2,3, 5 and 6. When the arm G reaches an intermediate position that isclose to the extreme upper position, the pivotal movement tightens ortakes up the slack in a cable 55, causing the cable to pull the controlon a spring latch 56, which causes the latch bolt to disengage from acatch notch in a hinge pin 57 of the hinge P.

When the latch 56 is disengaged from the hinge pin 57, a

coiled spring 58 causes the hinge pin 57 to pivot the arm 46 laterally,thus pivoting the shield S laterally until it reaches a protectiveposition close to the occupant, then a tooth in the hinge pin 57automatically engages the latch bolt of a spring actuated latch 59. Anoffset on the pin 57 engages a limit block 60 on the arm 45 to preventthe arm 46 from pivoting past the protective position. Just before thearm 46 completes its lateral pivoting movement, a cable 65 partiallywraps around the hinge pin 57 and thus takes up the slack in the cable,causing the cable to pull the control on the spring latch 66, to unlatchits bolt from engagement with a notch in the frame 12 of the shield H,thereby allowing the head shield H to pivot upwardly into the protectiveposition. A flange on the top portion of the panel 5 acts as a limitstop to prevent the frame 12 from pivoting past the protective position.

Modified means to move the shields into protective positions may readilybe substituted for the springs an and latches shown. Hydraulic orpneumatic cylinders (not shown) or the like, may be used effectively,including their use to easily retract the shields.

The ring handle of the latch 59 is pulled to cause unlatching to allowthe shield S to be retracted laterally.

The hinge pin 57 has rachet teeth to cause the bolt of the latch 59 togrip a tooth to prevent the arm 46 from being forced to pivot forwardlywhen the occupant strikes the shield S before the shield has reached theprotective position confronting the occupant. This provides a limiteddegree of protection when there is not enough time for the shield S tobe fully moved into a protective position.

The shield H also includes rachet teeth on the hinges K, to causelatches 15 to restrain the shield H from pivoting downwardly when theoccupants head strikes it before it reaches the extreme protectiveposition.

The control cable 54 may be attached to the latch 47 and to the firewallof the vehicle. The cable 54 may be rigged so it may be made taut bypressure against it by the occupants leg or hand, to cause the bolt ofthe latch 48 to unlatch. The cable 54 allows an operator 3 to keep hishands on the steering wheel 4 while his leg that is not on the brakepedal can pressure the cable 54.

When a collision thrust is likely to be from an angle, such as thefrequent angular collision thrust that strikes the left front portion ofa vehicle, when the operator veers the vehicle just before a collision,the latch 59 and the rachet teeth on the hinge pin 57, allow theoccupant 3 to laterally twist the upper portion of his body and to leanforward to an extent so as to stop the pivoting of the shield S at thedesired angle to meet the angular thrust directly.

A pivotal manual control 67 is mounted on the brace 44 with a pin 67a.The control 67 may have a resilient handle and a plug to engage a socketin the brace 44. The handle of the control 67 is pressured to bend itaway from the brace 44 to disengage the plug from the socket to allowthe control to be pivoted. When nonhazardous conditions are prevalent,the occupant may restrain the shield S from pivoting laterally to theprotective position, by pivoting the handle of the control 67 downwardlyuntil the control reaches the position 67b.before pulling the latch 48.A phantom outline indicates the position 67b. This positioning of thecontrol 67 causes the cable 55 to slacken to a great degree, thus thecable cannot pull the latch 56 to cause it to disengage from the notchin the hinge pin 57. When a hazardous condition occurs, the occupantpivots the handle of the control 67 upwardly, causing the cable 55 topull the bolt of the latch 56 to disengage it from the notch in thehinge plate 57, allowing the shield S to pivot laterally towardsthefront of the occupant.

When preferred, the occupant may keep the shield'H positioned low in thefolded position against the shield S, (see FIG. 15), when the shield Sis confronting him, by pivoting a manual control 68 to prevent theshield H from automatically pivoting into its protective position. Thecontrol 68 is made andmounted like the control 67. The handle of thecontrol 68 is pivoted downwardly until the control reaches the position68b to prevent the shield H from pivoting into its protective position.This positioning of the control 68 increases the slack of the cable65-thus the cable 65 cannot pull the latch 66 to cause it to disengagefrom the notch in the frame 12. When hazardous highway conditionsdevelop, the occupant pivots the handle of the control 68 upwardly,causing the cable 65 to pull the bolt of the latch 66 to disengage itfrom the frame 12, allowing the shield H to pivot vertically to theprotective position confronting the occupantss head.

A retractable brace R may be used to restrain the arm G from deformingwhen the occupant is pressured against the shields S and H. The brace Rincludes a tubular shaft 69. The brace R is pivotally engaged to the arm46 and to a brace guide 70. Ball fittings 75 and 76 are fastened to theends of the shaft 69. The ball 75 engages a socket in the arm 46. Theball 76 engages a slotted track in the brace guide 70. The lower end ofthe brace R is forced to rise and move laterally by movements of the arm46, when the shield S is being pivoted laterally into a protectiveposition. A spring sheet clip 77 on the arm 46 bears against the shaft69 to cause the lower end of the brace to rise to the upper end of theguide 70 when the shield S moves into the protective position. Thespring 77 tends to prevent the ball 76 from binding to the track in theguide 70. The brace guide 70 is welded to the cylinder D. A slidable bar78 is fastened to the top of the guide 70 and to the post 43. The bar 78slidably engages the groovelike window sill portion of the door 2. Thebar 78 keeps the post 43 and the guide 70 in alignment with the door 2,and allows the brace R to move with the shields. The lower end of theshaft 69 bears against a block 70a on the upper end of the guide 70,when the shield S is in the protective position.

The working position of the brace R is high enough to allow the occupantto freely use his left arm. The brace R may be omitted, but such anomission would require a much stronger and much larger supporting means,especially a stronger hinge P The arm G and the brace R can effectivelyresist the momentum thrust of the upper portion of an occupant againstthe shields S and H. As the head and upper portion of the torso do notweigh a great amount, because the head is a small mass and the upperportion of the torso is largely hollow, therefore the momentum thrust islow enough so as to make the arm G and the brace R economically andphysically feasible.

The shoulder shields ER and EL may be kept retracted behind the paneluntil there is need to move them into protective positions. The padding6 on the shield S adjacent to the shields ER and EL is attached so as toprovide pocket means into which the shields ER and EL retract.

Each of the shoulder shields ER and EL has a panel 79. Each panel 79 ispivotally mounted with a pin 80. Each pin 80 has a pin arm 81 thatengages a spring 82. Each spring 82 is anchored to the panel 5. Thesprings 82 force the shields to pivot outwardly from the retractedpositions shown in FIG. 6 to the protective positions shown in FIG. 10.The shields ER and EL would preferably be retracted behind the shield Swhen the shield S is retracted, so they cannot objectionably strike theoccupants arms when the shield S is moved into its protective position.The shields ER and EL are are held in their retracted positions by theframe 12. When the latch 66 releases the frame 12, the frame 12 pivotsupwardly, thus releasing panels 79 to allow them'to pivot outwardly.-Limit blocks on the panel 5 limit the pivoting ofthe panels 79. When theoccupant 3 is the operator, his arms may be extended forwardly to anextent while operating the vehicle. Thus when the shield H is pivotedupwardly, the operators arms would restrain the shields ER and EL frompivoting outwardly. The operator may pivot his arms backwardly justbefore a collision to allow the shields ER and EL to pivot outwardlyinto protective positions. When the shields ER and EL are in protectivepositions, they would tend to limit the reach of the operators arms toan extent. When an operator 3 prefers to keep the shields S and H in aprotective position while travelling, a

restraining cord may be used to keep the shields together and keep themretracted until they are needed. A friction type plug and socketconnecting means 86 splices the cable. The operator pulls the cord 85 tobreak the connection 86 to allow the shields ER and EL to spring intoprotective positions. During a collision, occupants shoulders would tendto pivot forwardly to cause them to bear against these shields.

The arm 46 and an arm 90 would help restrain an occupant from beinghurled towards the ceiling of the vehicle during a rollover accident.The arm 90 is attached to the panel 5. A fixed side shield 91 and aretractable side shield 92 may be used to help restrain an occupant frombeing forced aside during a collision. The side shield 91 may be rigidlyattached to the arm 46. The shield 92 is pivotally mounted as shown inFIGS. 11 and 12, to allow it to be retracted downwardly, as shown inFIG. 6. Retraction means of the shield 92 allows the shield to beretracted to provide additional clearance for the occupant to slide pastit after a collision. Retraction of the shield 92, also makes thecombined shields more compact in thickness so they can clear thesteering wheel 4 when the shields are fully retracted. While the shieldH is in a retracted position, the shield 92 is retracted, as it is heldby a cable 93 that is rigged to a notch iri a hinge pin 14, as shown inFIG. 19. Movement of the frame 12 into a protective position, causes thepin 14 to pivot and slacken the cable 93, which allows a spring 96 on ahinge pin 97 to force the shield 92 to move into a protective position.A limit stop 98 limits the pivotal move ment of the shield 92. A springactuated latch 99 restrains the shield 92 from pivoting laterally whenthe occupants shoulder bears against it.

The shield 92 may be omitted, particularly when the door 2 has a weaklatching means that may fail during a collision and allow the door toswing open. A shield 92 would tend to push the occupant out of thevehicle when the door 2 swings open, or the shield 92 would push andpivot the occupant down on the seat. The padding 6 on the shield 92would tend to prevent injury to the occupant. The omission or retractionof the shield 92, allows the shield S to swing outwardly with the door2. The hook 9 would deform and release the shield S if the door 2 swungopen during a collision.

The foot shields NR and NL are interlocked and slidably engaged to bentbar rails 102. The bars 102 are attached to the seat portion .IP. Thefoot shields NR and NL have strong shoelike shells 103 and 104. During acollision, the occupant may quickly move his feet sideways into theshields NR and NL, so the momentum of the feet pressures the feetforwardly against padding 6 in the shells. The shields NR and NL yieldwith the seat portion JP during a collision. The bars 102 allow theshields NR and NL to stop and/or be pushed backwards towards the seatportion 1 P during a collision when the shields strike a nonyieldingobstruction, such as a deformed portion of the firewall The When theoccupants feet are positioned in the shields NR and NL, the occupantslegs are bent at the knees so the legs are less likely to be stoved whendecelerating violently. The bars 102 act as ramps for the shields NR andNL, when the shields top and the seat portion JP moves closer to them.Ramp action causes the foot shields NR and NL to tilt, thus forcing thefeet to tilt so the seat portion JP can move forward farther. The bars102 tend to restrain the shields NR and NL from moving out of alignment.

The slidable seat portion JP may have backing means to cushion andrestrain the flight of an occupant whose head and torso portion areforced backwardly by a rear end collision against the vehicle. Thesheeting 29 which is fastened to the seat frame 30, may extend upwardlyand be fastened to a horizontal tube 108 that is attached to the masttube 109. The mast 109 is mounted on a lower mast or tube 110. The mast110 is pivotally supported by the seat frame 30, so mast means may betilted if it is used with a conventionable tiltable seat, to allowaccess to and from the rear seat of a vehicle. A handle 111 is pivotedto lock or unlock the mast 110 from a set position. The tube 109 may bewelded to the tube 110 to form a fixed mast means.

The mast means may be retractable so the horizontal tube 108 can beretracted to the position shown in FIG. 14. This retraction of the tube108 would be useful when the headrest 17 is omitted. A headrest 17and/or extended mast would not clear the steering wheel 4 when atiltable seat is tilted to allow access space.

The mast 109 may be a rectangular tube slidably mounted in the tube 110which would also be rectangular. A spring 112 is confined in the masttubes. A latching means 113 may be rigged to the barrier latching systemto cause the latch 113 to automatically trip when the shield S istripped. The spring 112 would force the inner mast 109 and thehorizontal tube 108 upwardly. When the mast means is retracted and theheadrest 17 is omitted, the sheeting 29 would be slack. When the mast109 is retracted and a headrest 17 is used, the horizontal tube 108would include a spring wound takeup spool (not shown), to take up theslack of the sheeting 29. The spool would have a rachet means to preventthe spool from uncoiling the sheeting 29. A retractable mast 109 mayhave padding that is hoselike in form.

The extended mast would help prevent the vehicle roof from caving induring a rollover accident.

Although I have shown a cylinder D as a force absorbing means to absorbthe occupants momentum during a collision, the supporting means for theshields may be fixed, so the shielding cannot yield forward within thevehicle. The barrier means may have a highly cushionable bumper portionV. The bumper portion V is a force absorbing means on the front of thevehicle to adequately cushion the occupant. Such force absorbing meansas the bumper V or the like would be necessary in small vehiclesincluding small automobiles which are so compact that an adequatedeceleration path cannot be made within the occupants compartment.Conventional bumpers yield little without breaking, so they cannotprovide adequate cushioning of collision impacts, as can the bumper V.Bumpers that are similar to the bumper V are described in my U.S. Pat.Nos. 3,056,462 and 3,056,627, also in my copending Pat. application Ser.No. 675,592. The bumper V may have a bowed shell or skin 117 that ispivotally mounted with pin means 118 and 119. Spaced pivotal links 120engage the pin means 119 and pin means on the beams 38. A corrugatedsteel sheet 121 or the like ties across the bow of the shell 117.Vertical yieldable rib means 122 stiffen the shell 117. Horizontal ribs123 may be used to spread a localized impact against the bumper V. Acollision impact by the object 124 against the shell 117 causes theshell and the rib means 122 to flatten, as shown in FIG. 5, sheet 121yieldingly resisting the impact force. The sheet 121 may be resilient.The object 124 may be an opposing vehicle. During most automobilecollisions that cause injury, great force is absorbed which causespermanent deformation of the vehicles. The bumper V would tend to behighly deformed by crushing action in absorbing collision forces, thusthe crushing of the bumper V would prevent objectional rebounding of thevehicle. The bumper V tends to raise the adjacent portion of thevehicle, when the lower portion of the bumper V strikes the roadway 125.

When a less costly vehicle occupant safety barrier like barrier B isrequired, the torso shield and head shield modifications shown in FIGS.21 to 27, may be used instead of the shields S and H. The modificationsinclude a torso or chest shield SM and a partially slidable head shieldHM. The shield HM may have a foldable transparent plastic face shieldFM. Shields SM, HM and FM are substantially symmetrical about theirvertical axes. The shield SM has a strong stiff panel 130. The panel 130has a pair of grooved track portions 130a. A U- shaped head shield frame132 slidably engages the track portions 130a. The frame 132 supportsfoldable sheeting 133 to which the occupants head bears during acollision. The sheet 133 may be made of my nylon. A pair of coiledsprings 134 are attached to the frame 132 and to the offsets 130b on thepanel 130. A latch 66 holds the frame 132 in a retracted position untilit is tripped.

The springs 134 may be covered with elastic cloth tubes (not shown) toshield the springs from the occupant. A pair of limit stops 132a on theframe 132 engage the offsets 13011 to limit the travel of the frame 132to the protective position shown in FIG. 21. A pair of stops 13C on thelower portion of the panel 130, limits the downward movement of theshields HM to a retracted position. A pair of shoulder shields ERM andELM are similar to the shields ER and EL. The intermediate portion ofthe frame 132 is offset from the panel to create a space for theshoulder shield springs 82 and the pin arms 81. The frame 132 is lockedinto a protective position by the spring locks 137 that engage thebottom corners of the frame. The spring locks 137 bend into recesseswhen the frame 132 is lowered into the retracted position.

The sheeting 133 is folded when the shield HM is retracted. A U-shapedband 138 is pin connected to upper end portions of the frame 132. Thewire band 138 is formed with two slightly resilient wires 138a and 13817that are yieldably spliced with a thin resilient sleeve 21, as shown inFIG. 26. The wire band 138 raises the sheeting 133 to a protectiveposition. The wires 138a and 138b and the sleeve 21 are encased in a hemin the upper edging of the sheeting 133. The yieldable splicing meansallows the band 138 to yield so the force of the occupants head is takenby the sheeting 133, thus the head is not bruised or cut by the band138. i

The sheeting 133 is fastened to the inner edge portion of the frame 132.The sheeting 133 may have a face opening 133a confronting a portion ofthe face of the occupant 3. The face opening 133a may have a slightlyresilient wire framework 140 encased in the hem of the sheeting opening.The framework 140 may be formed with wires 140a and 140b that areyieldably spliced with a sleeve 21 to form the frame work around theface opening. The wires 140a and NM are looped to form spring hingesthat are adjacent to the longitudinal extremities of the face opening133a. The wire frames 140a and 14% are compressed when the shield HM isretracted.

Padding 6 is used on at least the upper portions of the frame 132 thatare closely adjacent to the occupant. If preferred, additional padding 6may be fastened against the inside of the sheeting 133, like the paddingshown for shield H. Such padding would yield locally to allow it toconform to the bone structure of the occupants head, so as to bearbetter against the head, by thus reducing the intensity of the bearingpressure. Pins in the upper extremities of the frame 132 have sw squareshoulders to engage square holes formed by ends of the wires 138a and138b, and square holes in the spring stop clips 146. Coiled springs 147pivot the pins 145 and raise the sheeting 133. After the frame 132 isretracted, the sheeting 133 and wires 137 138 and 140, with or withoutthick padding 6, would be folded down against the panel 130 to theirfully retracted positions shown in FIG. 22.

The folded parts are held in the folded retracted positions by thefabric band 148. The band 148 is fastened to the underside of the panel130 and it is banded over the folded parts and fastened with a springclip 149 to a socket in the lower edge of the panel 130. When the latch66 releases the frame 132, the springs 134 are strong enough to bend andrelease the clip 149 as they pull the frame 132 upwardly into aprotective position.

The band 138 is thus loosened which allows the springs 147 to pivot thewires 138a and 13% to raise the sheeting 133 into the protectivepositioning. Offsets 1320 on the upper extremities of the frame 132limit the upward pivoting of the wires 138. The wires 138a and 138b arerestrained from pivoting downwardly by the spring stops 146. An end ofeach stop 146 springs outwardly and over the frame 132 so that it bearsagainst the frame 132 to restrain the wires 138 from pivotingdownwardly. When the frame 132 is released by the latch 66, the limitstops 132a pressure the shoulder shield cord 85 to cause the cable plugand socket 86 to disengage, thereby causing the shields ERM and ELM topivot into protective positions.

As shown in FIG. 25, the foldable portion of the shield HM may be keptin a partially protective position when the occupant is keeping theshield SM in a protective position. The band 148 may be detached fromunderside of the panel 130 and be attached to the top of the foldablesheet 133. When the occupant fails to move the control handle 68, torelease the shield HM, the lower portion of the occupants face wouldcontact and bear against the shield HM. When the occupant does trip thelatch 66 withthe handle 68, the partially retracted shield HM would moveinto protective position more rapidly than it could move from a fullyretracted position.

The face shield FM has a tough foldable transparent plastic sheet 153,such as Mylar. The sheet 153 may have a strong sheet edging 154. Theshields HM and FM may have grommets that are connected with pins 155 toallow the shield F M to pivot upwardly to a retracted position whenatmospheric conditions cause fogging. The shield FM is similar to thefoldable transparent face shield described in my copending Pat.application Ser. No. 549,835.

The side shield 92 can ,coact with the shield HM. As shown in FIG. 27 agroove 132d and widened pocket 132e is in the portion of the frame 130that is adjacent to the side shield 92. The cable 93 has a knot that isplaced in the pocket 1322. A portion of the cable 93 is placed in thegroove 132d. When the shield HM is retracted, the cable93 tightens andpulls the side shield 92 into a retracted position. When the shield HMmoves into a protective position, the cable 93 slackens and disengagesfrom the frame 132 thus allowing the shield 92 to pivot into itsprotective position.

Although I have shown and described barrier means that would provide ahigh degree of protection for an occupant, modifications includingsubcombinations may obviously be made to provide limited protection.Barrier means without retracting means may obviously be usedeffectively.

The barrier means would obviously be made largely of various types ofmetals. Strong plastics may obviously be used instead of metal for manyparts.

While I have illustrated and described several embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood that these are by way of illustrationonly, and that various changes and modifications may be made within thecontemplation of my invention and within the scope of the followingclaims.

Iclaim:

1. In a vehicle having a seat means for an occupant, in combination, amain shield means confronting at least upper portions of said occupantsupport means mounted in said vehicle, said support means including sidemounting means for supporting said main shield means in a substantiallyvertical protective position so that said upper portions of saidoccupant can bear against said main shield means when said vehicledecelerates and momentum forces said occupant forwardly, said mainshield means including rigid portion means confronting at least theupper portion of the torso of said occupant, said main shield means alsoincluding a head shield means confronting at least a portion of the headof said occupant, said head shield means comprising frame means mountedon said rigid portion means, said head shield means including headbearing surface means confronting at least the forehead of saidoccupant, said head bearing surface means comprising foldable sheetmeans and being of a construction to allow the occupant to seetherethrough, said main shield means including movable mounting means ofsaid head shield means, said head shield means being foldable to retractit downwardly adjacent the chest of said occupant, whereby said headshield means can be kept retracted so as not to obscure or obstruct thehead of said occupant when nonhazardous conditions are prevalent.

2. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said head shield meansincludes a collapsible transparent face shield means.

3. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said support means isyieldable in a forward direction of said vehicle for allowing yieldablemovement of said main shield means in a forward direction of saidvehicle in response to said momentum forcing said occupant against saidmain shield means due to a high degree of deceleration of said vehicle,whereby said occupant can decelerate slower than said vehicle.

4. A combination as recited in claim 3 together with yieldable forceabsorbing means to gradually cushion said occupant during a collision.

5. A combination as recited in claim 4 wherein said occupant is anoperator and wherein said vehicle includes a steering wheel meansconfronting said operator, and wherein said main shield means includesengaging means that engage said steering wheel means when said mainshield means yields forwardly, thereby causing said momentum to beharnessed so that said main shield means acts as a battering ram,whereby the deceleration path of said operator is increased.

6. A combination as recited in claim 4 together with second bearingsurface means for engaging at least upper portions of the legs of saidoccupant, said second bearing surface means being interconnected withsaid support means, said support means allowing yieldable movement ofsaid second bearing surface means in a forward direction of said vehiclein response to said momentum of said occupant, whereby said occupant issafely cushioned during rapid deceleration caused by a collision.

7. A combination as recited in claim 6 wherein said second bearingsurface means includes at least a seat belt, whereby said occupant issafely confined and cushioned during a rapid deceleration of saidvehicle.

8. A combination as recited in claim 4 wherein said seat means includesa soft pliable rebound-protective sheet positioned in bearingrelationship at least substantially vertically behind said occupant,said pliable sheet being interconnected with said support means andbeing movable forwardly when said main shield means moves forward,whereby said occupant is confined to protect him from moving backwardlywith whiplash action when said vehicle is impacted from behind after ahead-on collision.

9. A combination as recited in claim 4 wherein said side mounting meansincludes pivotal means to pivot said main shield means substantiallylaterally to a side lateral position beside said occupant, whereby saidoccupant can quickly position said main shield means into saidprotective position so he can be cushioned during a collision.

10. A combination as recited in claim 4 wherein said side mounting meansincludes pivotal means to pivot said main shield means substantiallylaterally to a side and to pivot it downwardly to a low retractedposition beside said occupant, whereby said main shield means does notobscure or obstruct said occupant when it is retracted.

11. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said main shield meansincludes a pair of shoulder shields pivotally mounted on said rigidportion means and confronting shoulders of said occupant, said pair ofshoulder shields being retractable to retracted positions adjacent saidchest, said main shield means also including spring means and trippingmeans, said spring means causing said pair of shoulder shields to pivotinto positions confronting said shoulders in response to said trippingmeans.

12. A combination as recited in claim 1 together with power means, saidpower means including means to raise said head shield means after it hasbeen retracted, whereby said head can be readily protected.

13. A combination as recited in claim 12 wherein said side mountingmeans includes lateral pivotal means to pivot said main shield meanssubstantially laterally away from the front of said occupant to a sidelateral position beside said occupant, whereby said occupant is free ofsaid main shield means when conditions are nonhazardous.

14. A combination as recited in claim 13 wherein said power meansincludes means to force said rigid portion means to move from aretracted position to a confronting position that confronts said upperportion of said torso, whereby little effort is needed to move saidrigid portion means into said confronting position for protecting saidoccupant.

15. A combination as recited in claim I wherein said main shield meansincludes a side shield means pivotally mounted above a shoulder of saidoccupant, said side shield means extending downwardly below the side ofsaid shoulder, said side shield means being retractable, said sideshield means including power means and side tripping means, said powermeans causing said side shield means to move into position to protectsaid occupant in response to said side tripping means, whereby said sideshield means prevents said shoulder from moving past it when saidmomentum tends to force said occupant aside.

16. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said support meansengages said main shield means at substantially shoulder height,whereby-the adjacent arm of said occupant can be moved freely.

17. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said main shield meansincludes a muff portion means at its lower extremity, said muff portionmeans comprising a looped sheet into which said occupant can insert hisforearms, whereby the arms of said occupant are restrained fromstraightening out during a violent deceleration.

18. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said movable mountingmeans includes at least, in part, a slidable mounting.

19. A combination as recited in claim 18 wherein said movable mountingmeans includes pivotal means and wherein said frame means includes atleast a stiff substantially U- shaped slider means having its transversecentral portion positioned downwardly, and wherein said frame meansincludes a stiff bowed portion means that is pivotally mounted on theupper portions of said U-shaped slider means, and wherein said foldablesheet means is fastened to said U-shaped slider means and to saidstiff-bowed portion means, whereby said occupant is protected to a highdegree.

20. A combination as recited in claim 19 together with power means, saidpower means forces said U-shaped slider means to slide upwardly andforces said stiff-bowed portion means to pivot upwardly after said headshield means has been retracted, whereby said head shield means can bequickly moved into a protective position with little effort.

21. A combination as recited in claim 20 together with retarding meansto allow said stiff-bowed portion means to be pivoted partially upwardlyand be held at an intermediate position until said power means istripped, whereby movement of said head shield means to a fullyprotective position can be effected rapidly.

22. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said movable mountingmeans includes at least, in part, a pivotal mountmg.

23. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said vehicle includes adoor and wherein at least a portion of said support means is supportedby said door, whereby access space is clear when said door portion isopen.

24. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said side mounting meansincludes pivotal means to pivot said main shield means substantiallylaterally to a side and to pivot it downwardly to a low retractedposition beside said occupant, whereby said main shield means does notobscure or obstruct said occupant when it is retracted.

'25. A combination as recited in claim 24 wherein said side mountingmeans is adjacent an interior side portion of said vehicle and whereinsaid interior side portion includes a lower portion that is opaque, andwherein said retracted position of said main shield means is below thetop of said opaque portion, whereby said occupant is not obstructed orobscured by said main shield means when it is retracted.

26. A combination as recited in claim 24 together with a steering wheelmeans mounted in said vehicle and confronting said occupant, and whereinsaid occupant is the operator of said vehicle and wherein said mainshield means is moved laterally above said steering wheel means as itmoves into said protective position, whereby said operator can freelysteer said vehicle while said main shield means is moving into saidprotective position.

27. In a vehicle having a seat for an occupant, in combination, a mainshield means confronting at least upper portions of said occupant,support means mounted in said vehicle, said support means includingmounting means for supporting said main shield means in a substantiallyvertical protective position so that said upper portions of saidoccupant can bear against said main shield means when said vehicledecelerates and momentum forces said occupant forwardly, said mountingmeans including pivotal means to pivot said main shield meanssubstantially laterally to a side and to pivot it downwardly to a lowretracted position beside said occupant, whereby said occupant is freeof said main shield means until he causes it to move into saidprotective position when a hazardous condition develops.

28. A combination as recited in claim 27 wherein said support means isyieldable in a forward direction of said vehicle for allowing yieldablemovement of said main shield means in a forward direction of saidvehicle in response to said momenturn of said occupant against said mainshield means due to a high degree of deceleration of said vehicle,whereby said occupant can decelerate slower than said vehicle.

29. A combination as recited in claim 28 together with power means toforce said main shield means to move from said retracted position tosaid protective position, whereby said occupant is readily protected.

30. A combination as recited in claim 29 together with yieldable forceabsorbing means to gradually cushion said occupant during an accident.

31. A combination as recited in claim 29 wherein said power meansincludes intermediate control means to allow said main shield means tobe kept in a high retracted side position until said intermediatecontrol means is tripped to allow said power means to move said mainshield means laterally into said protective position.

32. A combination as recited in claim 28 together with a brace means,said brace means including a brace track, said brace track beingfastened to said support means, said brace means being pivotally engagedto said support means adjacent said main shield means, and beingpivotally and slidably engaged to said brace track, said brace meansbeing retractable to a position adjacent a side of said occupant whensaid main shield means is retracted, whereby said support means isrestrained from deforming when said occupant bears against said mainshield means during a collision.

33. A combination as recited in claim 28 together with yieldable forceabsorbing means to gradually cushion said occupant during an accident.

34. A combination as recited in claim 33 wherein at least a portion ofsaid seat is slidably mounted and wherein said slidable portion of saidseat is interconnected with said main shield means so as to move withthe same lineal speed forwardly, whereby said occupant can remain seatedwhile he is decelerated slower than said vehicle.

35. A combination as recited in claim 33 together with bearing surfacemeans confronting at least upper portions of the legs of said occupant,said bearing surface means being interconnected with said main shieldmeans so as to move with the same lineal speed forwardly, whereby agreat momentum of said upper portions of said legs and torso of saidoccupant are cushioned during deceleration.

36. A combination as recited in claim 33 together with foot shield meansconfronting at least the front of the feet of said occupant, said footshield means being interconnected with said main shield means so as tomove with the same lineal speed forwardly, whereby said occupant candecelerate safely.

37. A combination as recited in claim 33 wherein said force absorbingmeans includes rebound preventing means, whereby said main shield meansis restrained from rebounding and propelling said occupant backwardly.

38. A combination as recited in claim 27 together with power means toforce said main shield means to move from said retracted position tosaid protective position, whereby said occupant is readily protected.

a high degree.

39-. A combination as, recited in claim 27 wherein said support means isadjacent an interior side portion of said vehicle and wherein saidinterior side portion includes a lower portion that is opaque, andwherein said retracted position is below the top of said opaque portion,whereby said occupant is not obstructed or obscured by said main shieldmeans when it is retracted. a

40. A combination as recited in claim 27 wherein said main shield meansincludes ,a muff portion means at its lower extremity, said muffportionmeans comprising a looped sheet into which said occupant caninsert his forearms, whereby the arms of said occupant are restrainedfrom straightening out during a violent deceleration.

- 41. A combination as recited in claim 27 wherein said main shieldmeans includes a collapsible head shield means, whereby said upperportionsofsaid occupant are protected to 42.'A combination as recited inclaim 41 wherein said head shield means includes a collapsibletransparent face shield means.

43. A combinationas recited claim 41' wherein said head shield meanscomprises frame means pivotally mounted, said head shield meansincluding head bearing surface means confronting at least the foreheadof said occupant, said head bearing'surface means comprising at leastfoldable sheet means iii and being of a construction to allow saidoccupant to see therethrough.

44. A combination as recited in claim 27 wherein said support meansengages said main shield means at substantially shoulder height, wherebythe adjacent arm of said occupant can be moved freely.

45. A combination as recited in claim 27 wherein said main shield meansincludes a plurality of latch means and wherein said main shield meansmoves into said protective position in response to tripping of saidlatch means.

46. A combination as recited in claim 45 wherein said latch meansincludes auxiliary control means to allowsaid main shield means to bekept in ahigh side positionluntil said aux-- iliary control means istripped to allow said main shield means to move laterally into saidprotective position.

47. in a vehicle having a seat for an occupant, in combination, a mainshield means'confronting at least upper portions of said occupant,support means mounted in said vehicle, said main shield means includinga muff portion means at its lower extremity, said muff portionmeanscomprising a looped sheet into which said occupant'can insert hisforearms, whereby the arms of said occupant are restrained fromstraightening ou during a violent deceleration.-

